MEDIA ADVISORY
Black-billed gull project up for consideration

The Kaikōura Water Zone Committee will consider funding a project aimed at improving the breeding success of the “most threatened gull species in the world” at its meeting on May 25.

Immediate Steps funding is sought from the Kaikōura Water Zone Committee for a proposed three-year Clarence River Black-Billed Gull Management Project.

The project will be run in collaboration between the Department of Conservation, Wildlife Management International, the Ornithological Society of New Zealand, and the Kaikōura Water Zone Committee.

The black-billed gull is only found in New Zealand and breeds around large braided river beds, such as the Clarence/Waiau-toa River.

It is classified as ‘Threatened-Nationally Critical’ by DOC, the same classification as Kakapo. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature considers the black-billed gull as the most threatened of the world’s 50 recognised gull species. As a result, the IUCN lists it as an endangered species.

The proposed Clarence River Black-Billed Gull Management Project seeks to monitor Clarence River black-billed gull colonies to establish the effects predatory black-backed gulls have had on the breeding success of the population.
Video footage of the Clarence River black-billed gull colony during the 2014/15 and 2015/16 breeding season showed black-backed gulls caused near or complete nest failure.

The proposed management project seeks to control the black-backed gull population while monitoring the black-billed gull breeding population to determine if productivity increases and whether other predators are impacting the population.
While the proposed management plan is specific to the Clarence/Waiau-toa River black-billed gull colony, it is hoped the plan could be applicable to other colonies around the country.

Funding for two separate riparian planting projects will also be considered at the meeting.

The zone committee will begin discussing a draft five-year integrated weed management plan for the Clarence/Waiau-toa catchment. This management plan builds on the funding and successful collaboration between land owners and agencies over the last two years.

Kaikōura Water Zone Committee meeting
Wednesday 25 May, 12.30pm
War Memorial Hall
Kaikōura

ends

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